Mechanical musical instrument.



P. B. KLUGH.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.19. 1919.

1,183,820. I Patented May16, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,, WASHINGTON, n. l

P. B. KLUGH.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 19, 1910.

1,1 83,820. Patented May 16, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL BROWN KLUGH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CABLE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed November 19, 1910. Serial No. 593,207.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL BROWN KLUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to mechanical musical instruments and especially to a type of instrument commonly called a piano player or player piano.

The present invention relates more particularly, although not exclusively, to the accentuation of certain notes or series of notes to bring out solo effects.

The object of the invention, when applied to piano players or player pianos, is to provide means for producing the aforesaid solo effects in an improved manner.

Certain broad features of the solo device herein set forth are claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 554,140, filed April 8, 1910. In said application, I show one arrangement for automatically controlling the action by the music sheet to bring out solo effects. In my applications, Serial No. 593,203, Serial No. 593,204, Serial No. 503,205, and Serial No. 593,206, filed of even date herewith, I show further means for effecting this automatic control. My present invention is applicable to all of the structures of my aforesaid co-pending applications, but is of course not limited to such application, being applicable also to a great many other embodiments or modifications.

In my present invention, instead of effecting the control automatically to bring out the solo effects through the aid of perforations in the music sheet, I have manual devices to accomplish the result. In a further embodiment of the invention, I employ a movable member, movable preferably along the path of the solo notes, to actuate devices selectively in its movement.

I will describe my invention more in detail by reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating several forms of carrying out the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, setting forth the piano action, the operating pneumatics and associated mechanism; Fig. 2 is a view of the solo controlling mechanism in its relation to the music sheet; Fig. 3 shows a modified form of construction for carrying out the invention, somewhat similar to Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the solo controlling mechanism; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the solo controlling mechanism.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, I show a mechanical musical instrument having strings 1, to be struck by hammers 2 of the piano action, keys 3, supplemental operating levers 4, wippens 5 and the associated mechanism. The keys 3 operate the action in the normal way. The tracker board 6 is provided with tubes 7 leading individually to the power pneumatics 8, one

for each hammer of the piano action, which power pneumatics, through the agency of the rods 9, actuate the levers 4 to operate the piano action in a well understood manner.

As per my aforesaid co-pending applications, I select the specific form for carrying out my invention herein, to cooperate with the power pneumatics 8, as comprising the supplemental or solo pneumatics 10. Each solo pneumatic 10, by means of a rod 11, controls a removable stop 12, slidable on an abutment 13. Normally, when a power pneumatic 8 is operated, the associated lever 4 is limited in its movement by engaging the respective stop 12. lVhen, however, a solo note is to be the result of the actuation,'the solo pneumatic 10 is operated to withdraw the stop 12 and permit the lever 4, upon actuation of its associated power pneumatic 8,

to move throughout its full stroke.

My present invention is more particularly concerned with means for controlling the supplemental action-controlling mechanism, which latter in this instance is the series of solo pneumatics 10. The novel means which I employ for controlling the supplemental mechanism herein comprises a movable member 14, having in its preferred form a manually operable handle 15 and an actuating finger 16. The movable member 14, in the embodiment herein shown, is designed to slide on a shaft 17 and also carries a pointer 18, which pointer is adapted to follow the line 19 marked upon the music sheet 20.

This movable member 14: may of course be moved manually by the handle 15 or otherwise and, when it is moved into its proper position, the handle 15 is designed to be ac tuated to move the finger 16 to cause the opening of an aperture or port 21 provided in the supplemental tracker board 22. The ports 21, preferably one for each note, lead by means of tubes 23 to their respective solo pneumatics 10. Closures 24 are, provided for the apertures or ports 21. In Fig. 5, I show a plan view of the closures 24 as they are arranged within the structure 25. Whenever the finger 16 is moved in a contraclockwise direction, as shown in Fig. i, it operates upon a closure 2st to open the corresponding port or aperture 21 to cause an actuation of its associated solo pneumatic 10, so that the actuation of the corresponding power pneumatic 8 will strike a loud note.

It will be seen that I provide supplemental means, here shown manually controlled, to control the operation of the solo pneumatics. The pointer 18, carried by movable member 14, is designed to follow the line 19, which line 19 is to set forth the melody notes of the music sheet or such other notes as are to be accented.

In Fig. 3, I show mechanism similarly arranged with the exception that the solo pneumatics 10 control resilient abutments 26 instead of stops 12, as shown in Fig. 1. A further change in this figure sets forth the association of the resilient abutments 26, which are counterparts of the stops 12 in Fig. 1, with an intermediate portion of the piano action, in this instance the wippens 5, by virtue of which I obtain the solo effects similar to those obtained by the construction of Fig. 1.

Certain features of the arrangements herein set forth are set forth and claimed in certain of the aforesaid applications filed of even date herewith.

WVhile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not mean to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement as herein set forth, but

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising piano action members, an abutment therefor, means independent of said abutment movable between said members and said abutment to limit the stroke of said members, mechanism for operating said means, and a manually operated device for controlling said mechanism.

2. A device of the character described comprising piano action members, an abutment therefor, means independent of said abutment movable between said members and said abutment to limit the stroke of said members, mechanism for operating said means, and a manually operated device for controlling said mechanism.

3. A device of the character described comprising piano action members, an abut ment therefor, a spring independent of said abutment. movable between said members and said abutment to limit the stroke of said members, mechanism for operating said spring, and a manually operated device for controlling said mechanism.

4. A device of the character described comprising piano action members, power pneumatics to operate same, an abutment, means movable between said members and said abutment to limit the stroke of said members, solo pneumatics to operate said means, and a manually operated device for controlling said solo pneumatics.

5. A device of the character described comprising piano action members, power pneumatics to operate same, an abutment, resilient means movable between said members and said abutment to limit the stroke of said members, solo pneumatics to operate said resilient means, and a manually operated device for controlling said solo pneumatics.

6. A device of the character described comprising piano action members, power pneumatics to operate same, an abutment, a spring movable between said members and said abutment to limit the stroke of said members, solo pneumatics to operate said spring, and a manually operated device for controlling said solo pneumatics.

7. A device of the character described comprising blow striking members, power pneumatics to operate same, resilient means to limit the stroke of said power pneumatics, solo pneumatics to operate said resilient means, and a manually operated device for controlling said solo pneumatics.

8. A device of the character described comprising a piano action, a pneumatic to operate same, resilient means to change the strength of operation of said action a solo pneumatic to control said resilient means, and a manually operated device for controlling said solo pneumatic.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a series of apertures, means for controlling said apertures, a manual controlling device comprising a rod extending longitudinally of said series of apertures, a member mounted on said rod and having a sliding engagement therewith, a finger piece pivoted to said member and arranged to move in a plane perpendicular to said rod, and an arm 16 carried by said finger piece and cooperating with said means for controlling said apertures.

10. In an automatic piano in combination, a board provided with holes, aseries of tubes connected to said holes at one side of said board, a series of valves covering said holes on the opposite side of said board, a rod mounted in a plane parallel to said board, a slidable member mounted on said rod, and a fingerpiece pivoted to said slidable member to move in a plane perpendicular to said rod for engaging any one of said series of valves as desired.

11. In a device of the class described in combination, a member provided with a se ries of apertures therein, spring plates mounted on said member having one end attached thereto, said spring plates carrying valves for normally closing said apertures, a rod mounted above said plates, a device slidably mounted on said rod, and a finger piece pivoted to said device having its movement in a substantially vertical plane, said piece being provided with two lever arms, one for operation by the operator and the other depending from the pivot point of said piece and having an inclined face for engaging the lower edge of the free end of said spring plates whereby said valves may be lifted.

12. In a device of the class described, a series of individual valves, and a manual device for controlling any one of said valves comprising a square rod, a member slidably mounted on said rod, and a hook piece pivoted to said member for engaging any individual valve as desired.

13. The combination with a piano action, of spring means acting upon said action to obstruct the operative movement thereof.

14'. The combination with a row of ports provided with valves, of a rod extending longitudinally of said ports and provided with a sliding device having a pivoted member arranged to swing in a direction crosswise of said rod and positioned to engage said valves to lift the same.

15. The combination with a piano action, of manually controlled spring means acting upon said piano action for obstructing the blow striking movements thereof.

16. The combination with a piano action, of a pneumatic action for operating the same, and manually controlled yielding mechanism acting upon said piano action for obstructing the blow striking movements thereof.

17. The combination with a piano action, of a pneumatic action for actuating the same, resilient means for shortening the blow striking movement of said piano action, a second pneumatic action controlling said resilient means, and manually controlled mechanism for governing the second pneumatic action.

18. The combination with the piano action, of a pneumatic action for actuating the same, resilient means acting upon the piano action between the hammers and keys thereof for shortening the hammer strokes, and manually cont-rolled pneumatic mechanism for controlling said resilient means.

19. The combination with a piano action, of a pneumatic action for actuating the same, abutment devices arranged to be moved into and out of position to intercept blow striking movements of members of the piano action between the hammers and the keys, and a manually controlled pneumatic action for moving said abutment devices into and out of position to intercept such movements of said members.

20. A device of the character described comprising in combination, a piano action, an abutment, an elastic member normally positioned between a wippen of said action and said abutment, power pneumatics for operating said action, and a solo pneumatic for withdrawing said member from its normal position.

21. A device of the character described comprising in combination, a piano action, an abutment, an elastic member normally positioned between an intermediate element of said action and said abutment to oppose the striking action of said element, power pneumatics to operate said action, and a solo pneumatic for withdrawing said member from its normal position.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 2nd day of November, A. D.,

PAUL BROWN KLUGH. \Vitnesses W. N. JOHNSON,

W. D. TOBIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

